Seven Days in the Country
by sendmetosanfran
Summary: Red and Liz have bad(and funny)luck in their new safe house. Sequel to Seven Days of Being Lost. Can be read independently.
1. Chapter 1

The newest place that they had to stay was out on the country side. That meant that Red had plenty to show Liz while they were there. Of course, sleep had to come first. This was the first place that had two beds that wouldn't break at any moment. Liz took one while Red went to the other. She fell asleep almost instantly. Red was another story.

He tossed and turned, unsure of what was keeping him awake. The bed was soft how he liked it. The pillows were perfectly fluffed. The room was even a good temperature. What was missing?

Finally, a thought crossed his mind. It wasn't what was missing. It was WHO was missing. He and Liz had shared a bed for the past three weeks. He'd grown accustomed to her warmth next to him.

Now, he had to figure out how to fix the problem. If he just laid down next to her, she'd freak out in the morning. Of course, he snored like a freight train. So, she'd probably wake up the second he fell asleep. His only choice was to wake her up and tell her what was going on. Sighing, he stood up and made his way to her room.

He found her sleeping, slightly snoring. There was a slight annoyance at the fact that she hadn't developed the same problem as him. That managed to lessen the guilt of waking her up. He shook her by the shoulder until she woke up and looked at him with bleary eyes.

"Huh?" She asked, rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm.

"Can I sleep in here?" He questioned, and she nodded. Red crawled under the covers and sighed. This felt so much better. Liz shifted until her head was on his shoulder.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" She asked, voice soft from sleepiness. "Was there something wrong with your bed?"

"... you could say that," Red responded. Before Liz could say anything else, he added, "let's not worry about it right now."

Liz nodded before snuggling closer. Apparently, she was more affectionate when she was sleepy. He could use this to his advantage some day. Not now though. He wanted sleep.

...

"I really don't see what's wrong with this bed," Liz stated. She'd done everything she could think of to see what could have kept Red awake. "It's warm, soft, and just about the most comfortable thing I've ever felt."

"I don't know what to tell you, Lizzie," he replied. It was kind of doubtful that he should tell the truth right now.

"Is there a spring loose?" She questioned before laying back on the bed.

"I don't think so," Red answered. She motioned for him to lay down next to her. He did as instructed and stared up at the ceiling.

"I don't feel anything wrong. Do you?"

"No," he said. Liz turned her head to look at him. She furrowed her brow at how uncomfortable he looked.

"Do you know what was wrong with it?" She asked which only resulted in silence. "Red?"

"You wouldn't understand," he finally snapped.

"Try me."

"...You weren't here," he confessed. This only seemed to make her more irritated.

"Just because I wasn't here doesn't mean that I wouldn't understand!" She said and leaned over him. "Now, tell me what was wro-... you just did, didn't you?"

Red avoided her eyes while a blush crept over both of their cheeks. They stayed quiet before Liz grinned. She leaned against his shoulder and laughed.

"I swear, Red, you are so cute sometimes," she said. The blush crept farther across his face.

"I am NOT cute!" He snapped. They'd been over this. Cute criminals get shot a lot sooner.

"Hmm, you're right. You're adorable," she countered. He groaned in annoyance. That wasn't any better. "So, you admit that one?"

"I am not adorable either," he growled before trying to turn away from her. That stopped when she threw a leg over him and straddled his waist. "What are you doing?"

"I'll let you go as soon as you admit that you're cute," she stated and Red rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm not cute. So, we're gonna be here a while," he said. "... What exactly is so cute about me anyway?"

"You couldn't sleep without me."

"So, I'm cute because I'm clingy?"

"That's not what I meant," Liz responded. She paused for a moment. "You've got a cute little paunch," she added before poking him in the belly. Red gave a sudden look of realization.

"Of course! That's it! I'm cute because I'm clingy and fat," he exclaimed sarcastically.

"I didn't say you were fat. I said you had a little paunch."

"Try something else."

"... Your laughter lines?"

"Now, I'm clingy, fat, and old. What's next, Lizzie? That I'm bald?" Red questioned while Liz hung her head in defeat. He chuckled and ran his hands up her arms before squeezing her shoulders. "Lizzie, I'll say that I'm cute if you'll stop tying to compliment me."

"... deal."


	2. Chapter 2

Red had to go to another meeting. So, Liz was left in the house by herself. Honestly, she didn't know how he had business everywhere he went. Oh well, she had the tv to herself this way.  
She sat curled up in an armchair with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. Munching idly, she watched an old black and white movie. It was more of a family movie but kept her attention. That was why she jumped so much when something flew at her face. She screamed and jumped back. Her chair landed with a loud thud, and the bowl of popcorn got flung across the room.  
"What the hell was that?" She asked to herself. Standing up, she stumbled towards the light switch. She'd been watching the movie in the dark and regretted it now. Before she could get the light, something flew by her head. She screamed again before jumping for the light.  
After her eyes adjusted, she saw a little creature hanging upside down from the counter. Why did it have to be a bat? A better question was why did it have to be starting at her. Those beady eyes were creeping her out. It didn't help when it made a squeaking noise at her.  
"Sorry, but you can't stay," Liz stated. She opened the front door and grabbed a frying pan. She had no intention of hitting it but wouldn't hold back if it attacked her. Holding the pan in front of her like a sword, she crept closer. The bat just watched her with an almost amused gleam in its eyes.  
"You've got no intention of moving, do you?" She asked and it cocked its head to the side. Liz moved closer until the pan was nearly touching the little mammal. Instead of backing away, it leaned forward and gave a small sniff to the metal. Liz groaned in annoyance.  
"Seriously?" The bat made a chattering noise that seemed somewhere between an answer and laughter. Liz brought the pan up to the bat's toes and started to pry them off the bar. It squeaked before flapping around the room again.  
Liz knew that she must have looked ridiculous cowering behind a frying pan like this. The small creature landed on the door frame and looked at her again. She went to the door, fully intent on getting the bat to go through it. Instead, it flew back over her head. She groaned when she saw that it had gone back to the counter. This meant war. ...  
An hour passed before Liz finally got the bat out of the house. After that, she had tossed the pan back onto the counter before flopping down on the sofa. She heard footsteps and figured that Red must have gotten back. The door opened, and Red stepped inside. While he hung his hat up, a black object streaked into the room and into the next. Red furrowed his brow and blinked at the now empty space in confusion.  
"Lizzie, what was that?" He asked when he saw her stand and glare at him. She moved over to the counter and picked up the pan.  
"That was the bat that I just got out of the house after an hour," she explained angrily. She pushed the pan flat against his chest. "It's your turn. You'll need this."

Two things. First, I imagined Liz watching the movie 'I Remember Mama' which is a really good movie in my opinion. Second, I know this isn't really the right place to ask, but I'm thinking about starting a vlog or something on YouTube. Opinions? 


	3. Chapter 3

Liz was completely unsure as to how they had gotten to this point. All she knew was that Reddington was undressing in front of her and telling her to do the same. There was no way that he actually thought this was going to happen.

"Come on, Lizzie. Trust me. You'll enjoy it," Red stated, removing the last article of clothing he had while she avoided looking at him.

"I don't think so," she responded. No one should ever be as comfortable naked as he seemed.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to get wet."

"... That's the first time I've ever heard a woman say that," Red joked. Liz nearly looked at him just to glare. Instead, she turned her gaze at the tree next to her.

"Don't make this about sex. It's already awkward enough," Liz warned. The criminal chuckled before turning towards the lake behind him. "Why do you want to skinny dip anyway?"

"It just feels good. You should try it and see what you're missing."

"The same thing could be said about drugs," Liz responded making him roll his eyes.

"This is a little less dangerous," Red stated and dipped a toe in the water. It was just the right temperature. Cold but not overly chilly.

"Just don't pee in the water. I've heard that doesn't end well," she warned. Red couldn't help but laugh. Without any more argument, Red jumped in the water and sighed. This really did feel good. He looked back at the bank to see if Liz might have changed her mind. Of course, she hadn't.

"The water is great. You should join me."

"You just want to get me naked," Liz said back. She kept her gaze at his face, afraid what she might see if she let it go any lower.

"Well, sweetheart, if you were naked, it might be a little easier to get that stick out of your ass," Red retorted. Liz glared before an idea crossed her mind. A grin spread across her face making Red lift an eyebrow.

"I have a better way to do that."

"Oh?" He asked.

"There's this thing called a prank," she answered. Liz picked up Red's discarded clothes before hurrying away. Red shook his head as she left, thinking she would come back. It wasn't long before he realized that she wasn't coming back. He was in the middle of the woods alone and completely naked.

...

Liz sat on the sofa and waited for Red to come back. When he finally did, he came in, hands blocking his crotch, looking sullen. That had been the longest walk of his life.

"Go back outside," Liz ordered, irritating him.

"Excuse me?!" He asked.

"Red, you're covered in pond scum. You'll get it everywhere," she answered, standing up from her seat. He looked ready to argue, but she pushed him towards the door. The next thing he knew, he was outside again, and Liz was holding a garden hose. She turned it on and aimed at him.

"GAH! Lizzie, that's freezing!" Red complained, flinching away from the spray.

"There isn't exactly a temperature control on this thing. Now, hold still," she instructed. Red groaned and shifted slightly. Liz rinsed off his front and side before moving around. Red yelped and flinched again when she sprayed across his backside.

"Easy! I only need a rinse, not an enema!" He said making her grimace.

"Thanks for the visual," she answered sarcastically. After another long moment, she came to a stop. "I think you're clean, but to be honest, I'm doing everything I can to avoid looking."

"Don't lie. You've been staring at my ass this whole time."

"I have not!"

"Lizzie, where are you looking right now?"

"... Shut up!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on, Liz," Red said, pulling Liz towards the door. "I think you'll enjoy a hike out here."

"But it's hot," she complained but still let him drag her along. "I thought you didn't like going for walks."

"I don't, but it's too beautiful out here to pass up," He responded. The second they were out the front door, Liz felt like she was being baked. "While we're out, keep an eye out for snakes."

"Seriously, Red? We're gonna risk dying for a walk?" Liz questioned. Red rolled his eyes and pulled her along, fully enjoying the fact that she hadn't made him stop holding her hand. That alone was worth being out in this heat.

He led her down one of the paths that led to a small flower garden. It was lined up so well that it almost seemed like they had been planted there on purpose. Liz was absolutely impressed by it.

"This is beautiful, Red," she stated, moving towards a rose bush. Red refrained from making a comment about her being beautiful. He'd already gotten to hold her hand. There was no point in pushing it by flirting.

"Nature isn't as bad as you thought, is it?" Red asked as Liz looked around at the different flowers.

"Well, not when you tell me about snakes and then show me flowers," Liz responded. She smiled over at Red and the light seemed to hit her in just the right way. It made Red forget about not flirting. He reached over and pushed a stand of hair behind her ear, noticing how soft the strand was.

"I think you would look marvelous with a rose tucked into your hair," he stated. Liz nearly blushed at how gentle his touch had been. "Of course, you're already beautiful without it," he added before he could talk himself out of it. Liz swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond.

"Thank you... Um, would you mind getting one while I look around?" She asked. Red nodded with a small smile. She returned it before turning around.

There was another small trail that Liz followed while Red pulled out a pocket knife. She went out of his view while he cut off a stem and took off the thorns. He admired the delicate red petals, turning it in his fingers. It was beautiful but not as much as his Lizzie.

He was drawn from his thoughts when he heard Liz scream. Red bolted towards where he heard her, rose clenched in one hand, knife in the other. If she had been bitten by a snake or was hurt, he'd never be able to forgive himself. Instead of finding her hurt, he found her looking sullen and disgusted.

"Lizzie, what happened? Are you hu-... Good God, what is that stench?!" He clenched his nose at the horrendous smell.

"I pissed off a skunk," she said, sounding depressed. Red gave her a look of pity. Stepping closer, he tucked the flower behind her ear.

"I should probably get you a few more of those," Red stated even though the flowers fragrance did nothing to combat the smell.

"Red,"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I hate nature."

"Hmm. Right now, that's understandable... Also, it doesn't seem overly fond of you."

...

Gotta point out that I took a few liberties with one. Mostly with the skunk. First, it's not likely you'll see one in the day. Second, it'd be pretty hard for Liz to get sprayed that quickly. They're pretty docile and spray as a last resort.


	5. Chapter 5

Liz hated this so much. She had tomato juice where it should never be. Why did she have to get sprayed by that skunk? She scrubbed a little harder with the bath rag, her skin red from it. Liz dropped the rag and leaned back with an exasperated sigh?

"Everything alright in there, Lizzie?" Red called from the other side of the closed door.

"I can't get this smell off," she called back.

"Maybe you're not scrubbing right," he stated. Liz rolled her eyes. "Do you need something other than tomato juice?"

"... Could you get me the vanilla extract?" She asked and heard him walking towards the kitchen. After he rummaged around for a while, he came back to the door.

"I couldn't find it," he said. Liz sighed before standing up. Wrapping a towel around herself, she went to the door. This was probably going to end badly.

"Don't look," she instructed as her hand went around the doorknob. "I'm gonna come in and get it. I'm only wearing a towel... Try not to get excited."

"Lizzie, I'm sorry, but the skunk smell is enough to avoid that," Red called back. Liz opened the door and walked in. Red was sitting in the armchair with a book in his lap, the look of pure innocence. Of course, Liz knew better.

"Don't try anything," Liz warned. Despite him trying to hide it, Liz still saw the small smile that spread across his lips as he kept his gaze on the book. She rolled her eyes before walking into the kitchen. Opening the cabinet door, she looked to where she thought that she had put that bottle. Looking closer, she could see that it had fallen over to where Red wouldn't have seen it. It was too far back for her to get to it.

She pushed a chair over to the cabinet and stepped up, keeping her towel secured. She didn't want Red to come in and be able to see up it. It only took a second for her to get the bottle. The sound of footsteps told her that she should get down.

"Lizzie, I heard that it hel-," Red stopped in his tracks. On the way down, Liz's towel had gotten caught on the backrest of the chair. She yelped and scrambled to get it back around her. By the time she looked up, there was a scarlet faced Red holding his book over his lap. Of course, this time, it was for something completely different than reading. After an awkward silence, he turned and left the room, book still firmly in place.

...

Red was already in bed with the lights off by the time that Liz came in. While she crawled in next to him, he kept his back to her. There was no way that he could face her right now.

"Are you up?" She asked quietly. Red had the strongest urge to turn around and glare. "I meant awake," she added, virtually feeling his irritation.

"Just forget it happened," Red stated, voice barely audible.

"But, it was kind of a good thing," Liz responded. He stayed silent, but Liz could tell that he wanted her to explain. "I mean, a lot of guys your age can't get it up that quick."

"..."

"Plus, we know there's nothing wrong with your heart," she went on before laughing.

"It's not funny!" He snapped but didn't turn around.

"I'm sorry," she said between laughs. "It's just that it only took like two seconds. Usually it takes more than that."

"To be fair when a naked woman is involved, those two seconds feel a lot longer... And at least I don't go from smelling like skunk spray to like the philsberry dough boy had his way with me!" He snapped again. Liz snorted and completely ignored the insult.

"Is that why guys last like five minutes and call it an hour?" She joked.

"ELIZABETH KEEN!" he said loudly. He turned onto his back just as her hand came down on his crotch. Liz stared forward with a look of horror. "Uh... Lizzie?" Red asked, voice suddenly sounding weak and strained as his throat and mouth went dry.

"I was just gonna pat your thigh," she muttered, blushing furiously.

"Okay, but... um... don't you think that you should move your hand now?" He asked and she picked her hand up.

"Now what?"

"... Call it even and never speak of it again?"

"Deal,"


	6. Chapter 6

"Good God, it's freezing!" Red yelped after waking up. He moved closer to Liz who made a noise of protest.

"That doesn't mean that you can steal my heat!" Liz complained as she shifted away from him. She groaned when his arm wrapped around her waist.

"You deserve it after stealing my part of the blankets," he stated. Liz sighed but let him move closer. "The cooling unit must be malfunctioning. When I get up, I'll fix it."

"Maybe I wanted to fix it."

"You know about electrical units?" Red asked, lifting his head to look at her. She gave a small shrug.

"A little,"

"Alright... Just don't hurt yourself."

...

When Liz got the front off of the unit, she realized that she had no idea what she was doing. Red couldn't hold back a small smirk when he saw her look of utter confusion. Of course, it was replaced by one of concern very quickly. She might actually hurt herself.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to do it?" Red asked, holding the concern out of his voice.

"I said that I would do it. So, I'm going to," Liz stated. Red tapped a finger on his thigh for a moment.

"Do you want me to help?" He questioned cautiously. He didn't want her to know that he thought that she couldn't do it.

"I'll be fine, thank you," Liz answered, looking around at the various wires. She could feel Red's gaze still on her.

"... I'll just go cook breakfast. Do you want me to make you something?"

"Egg sandwich?"

"Sure, sweetheart," he answered before leaving the room. That didn't stop him from staying to where she was in view. Liz sat back and thought of where to start while Red turned on the stove eye.

Red sat out a skillet and pulled out a few eggs. He watched as Liz started to fiddle with the wires while he tried to crack eggs at the same time.

The first egg landed halfway into the pan. He picked up another, still watching Liz work. The second egg was cracked on the side of the counter before the insides were dropped a good three inches to the right of the pan. He picked up the third before moving to crack it. Liz let out a yelp as she tugged on the wrong wire. Red clenched his hand around the egg, getting the slime all over himself.

"Are you alright?" Red asked, not noticing the mess yet.

"I'm fine," she responded. The sight of the splattered eggs made her furrow her brow. "You look like you're having more trouble than me."

"Hmm? Ah, damn it!" Red swore after seeing what he'd done. He grabbed a rag and started to clean it up. His gaze shifted back to her. If she got hurt, he wanted to help her as quickly as possible. That was why he didn't notice the small flame that started when his rag lingered on the hot eye.

"SON OF A BITCH!" he yelped and jumped back when it reached his finger. Liz's gaze shot to him at the sound. He was dumping water on the burning fabric which caused the eye to sizzle loudly.

"Are you alright?" Liz asked.

"I'm fine," Red responded, blowing cool air on his fingertips to soothe them. "Breakfast may take a little longer than I expected," he added. Liz was sorely tempted to make him sit next to her while she finished this. Sadly, Red seemed determined to finish breakfast. While she was watching him, he cracked a few more eggs into the pan before setting it onto the stove.

Liz went back to her work and didn't notice when Red started watching her again. He paced for a few minutes before stopping again. Leaning back, he placed his hand where he thought there would be countertop. Instead, his hand landed in the cooking egg. He yelped and shook his hand. "GOD DAMN!" he swore. It wouldn't have been so bad if the egg hadn't stuck to him and kept burning. "SHIT! MOTHERFUCkER, THAT HURTS!" He yelped as he ran water over his hand. After a long moment, the burning stopped. He sighed just as Liz moved next to him. The pan was taken off the stove before she turned to him.

"Okay, you're sitting with me while I finish," Liz stated. Red looked like he wanted to argue but ultimately nodded.

...

"I don't get why I couldn't fix it," Liz stated while Red sat next to her with his hand in a bowl of cool water.

"Well, I don't understand how I stuck my hand in a pan of eggs," he said back. Liz gave him a look of pity before patting his shoulder.

"I'm gonna take another look really quick," Liz commented before standing up. She looked back towards Red who looked like he wanted to follow. Given how his day had gone, she thought it was best to say, "Stay."

Red rolled his eyes as she turned again. She pulled the cover off the cooling unit and gazed in. Nothing seemed out of place. She pushed the cover back on before standing back up. Her gaze shifted to the thermostat causing her to grimace.

"Red, I found the problem."

"What's that?"

"The thermostat was set to forty five."

...

I have to say that I took a major liberty on this. Any house that I have lived in has not had a thermostat. So, I have no idea how it works.


	7. Chapter 7

Liz was starting to learn that Reddington liked to get up and do things a lot more than she did. That was why she ended up waking up to him trying to tug her out of bed. She groaned loudly and tried to pull away.  
"Lizzie, this is our last day here. We should make it count," he stated. She looked up at him before looking to the window. It was still dark outside.  
"What are we supposed to do?"  
"Fishing," he said like it was the simplest thing in the world. Liz raised an eyebrow. Did they even have everything that they needed for fishing? How could they?"  
"Don't we need things for that, like worms or fishing poles?"  
"The fishing poles were in the attic. I already went and got the worms," he answered. Liz flopped back down with a groan. There was no way that she was getting out of this.

...

She was so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep. It didn't help her that Red had a small boat out behind the house. That's what they were sitting in now, and it was also what was rocking her to sleep.  
"Lizzie, are you awake?" Red asked when she started to doze off, her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, just tired," she responded. He gave a small smile before shifting. Liz sat up and looked at him with tired eyes.  
"I think this would be more comfortable," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder while holding his fishing pole in his free hand. She rested her head on his chest and sighed. It really was more comfortable. Of course, Red should have realized that Liz would actually fall asleep.  
She snored while her head slid down his chest slowly. He grabbed her shoulder to keep her from slipping lower. That was when he noticed her fishing pole was leaning over the edge of the boat. It started to slid farther into the water.  
Red looked at Liz for a second and decided to not to wake her. He reached around her to grab the pole but it slipped out of his reach. It dangled over the edge but didn't go over.  
Red shifted him and Liz over to where he might be able to reach it. They were leaning dangerously over the edge of the boat when he got his hand around the rod. Unfortunately, that was also when there was a strong jerk at the end of the line. He yelped and was nearly pulled over, Liz, however, fell like a ton of bricks. Red grimaced at the splash.  
Liz screamed when the rush of cold water woke her up. She came up to the top of the water and huffed for air. Then, she saw the look of guilt on Red's face.  
"What the hell did you do?!"  
"... There was a freak wave," he said, voice showing that he didn't expect her to believe it.  
"Sometimes you can be a real ass."

...

"I'm still freezing," Liz complained. She was bundled up under the covers but still felt the chill of the water. Red looked at her apologetically. He didn't want her to be cold or get sick because of him. After a moment, he scooted under the covers with her and pulled her against his chest. "... What are you doing?"  
"Making sure you stay warm," Red stated. It took her a minute to figure out if she should let him do this. The warmth that he was emitting made her choice for her.  
"Fine, just don't try anything," she responded. Her head rested on his chest while she laid an arm over his waist.  
"Sweetheart, you're the one who put your hand on my crotch," he replied slyly. She glared up at him.  
"We agreed to never mention that again," She said, annoyance prevalent in her voice. "Besides, I'm not the one who could be used for a viagra spokesman," she added. Red wrapped his arms a little more securely around her.  
"I'm gonna let that slide since I did accidentally drop you into a lake."

...

Liz woke up to Red groaning. She opened her eyes and saw him holding his hand to his his forehead. His cheeks and nose were pink. The rest of his face was pale.  
"You okay?" Liz asked.  
"I feel horrible," he mumbled. His hand fell to his side before Liz put hers to his forehead.  
"Red, you're really hot."  
"Lizzie, this is no time to flirt."  
"I meant you have a fever, jack ass," Liz responded. "You're sick."  
"I don't get sick, and if I did, it'd only be because I held a Lizziecycle all night."  
"You're sick."  
"Am not," he argued. Liz rolled her eyes before sitting up. She did have one option.  
"What if I said that if you admit that you're sick that I'll let you lay your head in my lap?" Liz asked which got his attention immediately. He blinked up at her for a minute before shifting to where his head was in her lap.  
"Alright, I'm sick," he said. Liz rolled her eyes and rubbed her hand over his chest. "Lizzie?"  
"Hmm?"  
"... What could I do if I said I was dying?"

...

That's all for this one. For the next one, I'm thinking about having it be partly about Red still being sick.


End file.
